branding influencer
Experiencing the Brand of Café de Paris – Monaco Through a Designer’s Lens
Monaco / Vancouver — On a recent visit to Monaco, Pria Rajput of Black Label Designs immersed herself in Café de Paris Monte-Carlo, an iconic brasserie serving as a canvas of heritage, art, and conviviality. Below, Pria shares her impressions — how the space spoke to her as a designer rooted in Canada, and what the experience taught her about atmosphere, craft, and global design language.
Q: What attracted you to visit Café de Paris in Monaco?
Pria Rajput (PR): As a designer, I’m always drawn to places that carry both memory and reinvention. Café de Paris is legendary, an institution founded in 1868 overlooking the Place du Casino, known for its Belle Époque heritage and dramatic social role in Monaco.
When I learned of its recent renovation and expansion, I saw an opportunity to witness firsthand how history and modernity can be woven together. Coming from Canada, where design must often anchor itself in local climate, narrative, and community, I was curious to see how Monaco, a small principality with an outsized style, reimagines one of its landmarks for today.
Q: What was your first impression of the space, before even ordering a dish?
PR: Walking into Café de Paris felt like entering a living tableau. The restored stained glass, terrazzo mosaics, checkerboard marble, brass details, and warm woodwork all evoke a layered elegance. The lighting is generous, daylight filters through, and at night the ambient glow complements the architectural flourishes.
Because the renovation expanded the building upward and added terraces, the scale now feels more expansive. Yet it retains intimacy, the interplay of levels, the balance between inside and terrace, and sightlines toward the casino plaza outside make you always aware of context.
Q: As someone who designs in Canada, what design lessons or parallels did you take away?
PR: Several stood out:
Pria Rajput (PR): As a designer, I’m always drawn to places that carry both memory and reinvention. Café de Paris is legendary, an institution founded in 1868 overlooking the Place du Casino, known for its Belle Époque heritage and dramatic social role in Monaco.
When I learned of its recent renovation and expansion, I saw an opportunity to witness firsthand how history and modernity can be woven together. Coming from Canada, where design must often anchor itself in local climate, narrative, and community, I was curious to see how Monaco, a small principality with an outsized style, reimagines one of its landmarks for today.
Q: What was your first impression of the space, before even ordering a dish?
PR: Walking into Café de Paris felt like entering a living tableau. The restored stained glass, terrazzo mosaics, checkerboard marble, brass details, and warm woodwork all evoke a layered elegance. The lighting is generous, daylight filters through, and at night the ambient glow complements the architectural flourishes.
Because the renovation expanded the building upward and added terraces, the scale now feels more expansive. Yet it retains intimacy, the interplay of levels, the balance between inside and terrace, and sightlines toward the casino plaza outside make you always aware of context.
Q: As someone who designs in Canada, what design lessons or parallels did you take away?
PR: Several stood out:
- Layered heritage + selective updating. The team preserved period elements (glass, mosaics, ironwork) while introducing contemporary rhythm — a lesson in restraint and respect.
- Day-to-evening adaptability. The space seamlessly shifts from sunny terrace breakfasts to candlelit dinners. In Canada, where daylight and seasons vary dramatically, designing for adaptability is essential.
- Anchoring design in "place." Though Café de Paris is iconic and global in reputation, the design is deeply tied to Monaco’s identity — views, light, climate, scale, civic rhythm. That balance between global voice and local specificity is something I strive to embed in my work.
- Experience as choreography. Every path through the cafe — terraces, interior rooms, vantage points to the casino — feels intentional. As a designer, I’m reminded that how people move through space matters as much as surfaces and furniture.
About Pria Rajput & Black Label Designs
Pria Rajput leads Black Label Designs, a Canadian-based studio specializing in interiors and branding for hospitality, wellness, and retail. Her practice bridges global references and local narratives, seeking to create spaces that feel timeless, intentional, and human.
Pria Rajput leads Black Label Designs, a Canadian-based studio specializing in interiors and branding for hospitality, wellness, and retail. Her practice bridges global references and local narratives, seeking to create spaces that feel timeless, intentional, and human.
